Liquid-dispensing pump



J. D. FLETCHER ET AL LIQUID DISPENSING PUMP Filed June 1, 1922 9 5 F. z m 0 m m 31 6 i E D n a mmw J .llllll i unmm Patented Jan. 20, 1925.

UNITED STATES 1,523,753 PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN D. FLETCHER AND CHARLES LEE COOK. OF LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY, ASSIGNORS, BY DIRECT AND MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, 'IO CARL P. NACHOD AND HENRY H.

ANDERSON, JR., BOTH OF LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY.

LIQUID-DISPENSING PUMP.

Application filed June 1, 1922. Serial Ito/565,098.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that we, JOHN D. Fnn'rounn and CHARLns LEE Coon, citizens of the United States, residing at Louisville, in the county of Jefferson and State of Kentucky, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Liquid-Dispensing Pumps, of which the following is a specification.

Our said invention relates to certain improvements in pumps designed primarily for dispensing syrups used in the preparation of soft drinks as at soda fountains and such like places, the pump being of the general type shown in application No. 497,013, filed August 30, 1921, by John B. Fletcher, the improvements being particularly designed to insure the dispensing of a predetermined or measured quantity of the syrup, all as will be hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

Referring to the accompanying drawings which are made a part hereof and on which similar reference characters indicate similar parts,

Figure 1 is a- View of one of our improved pumps partly in section and partly in elevation,

Figure 2 a detail side elevation of the lower end of the pump;

Figure 3 a cross section on the dotted line 33 in Figure l, and

Figure 4 a detail diagrammatic view showin g the locking arrangement of certain parts.

Said pump comprises a cylinder 10 adapted to be mounted in the bottom of a syrup container. A piston 11 is mounted in said cylinder and is connected with a piston rod 12, the upper end of which extends through a cap 13 having a central-tubular casing 14 in which is encased a spring 40, interposed between a shoulder near the top of the handle and an internal flange around the bottom of said tubular casing for maintaining the handle member 15 in normal position. Said construction is substantially the same as that shown in the above'named application and therefore need not be described in detail herein.

Cap 13 is spaced and supported from the top of the cylinder 1.0 by a post 16 on one side and a tube 17 on the other. Said tube terminates at its upper end in a discharge spout 18 and near the lower end has a valve casing 41 in which is mounted a rotary valve 19 as shown. A port 20 leads from the bottom of the cylinder to said valve casing and another port 21 leads from said valve easing into the top of the cylinder and another port 22 leads from the valve easing into the tubular member 17. Rotary valve 19 is formed with a port 23 cut through one side thereof and with a port 24 leading through the valve and in line with port 23. The pnrpose of each will be presently described. On the outer ends of the stem of the valve are mounted crank-arms 25 havin a horizontally disposed pin 26 supporte between their ends. A sleeve 27 is mounted in the head of cylinder 10 and surrounds the piston rod 12, said sleeve being formed with a flange 28 on its lower end which is interposed between the upper face of the piston 11 and the lower face of the cylinder head and with a flange 29 on its upper end, preferably secured in position by a screw-threaded connection, as shown. A stop 30 !is formed on the side of the valve casing and projects in position to limit the upward movement of the piston rod by contact of flange 29 therewith, which also limits movement of the valve to position the parts for suction movement. A collar 31 formed with annular projecting ribs 32 and 33 with an annular concave recess between them is adjustably secured on the piston rod by means of a set screw 34.

In Figure l, the parts are shown in their normal position, it being understood that cap 13 fits down over the top of the syrup container and that normally the tube 17 and spout 18 will be filled with syrup. It will be noted that with the parts in the position shown in Figure 1, a pasageway is established from the syrup container through port 20, port 23, and port 21 into the space in the cylinder above the piston. The operator by pressing down upon the handle member 15 forces the piston down and creates suction through the ports20, 21, and 23, drawing the syrup from the syrup container into the space in the cylinder above the piston. As said piston rod is forced downward sleeve 27 follows and at the proper point rib 32 of collar 31 contacts with pin 26 which is engaged by the recess between said rib and rib 33 and a rolling connection established. When collar 31 strikes the top flange 29 of sleeve 27 the downward limit of movement is reached and the desired quantity of syrup or other liquid has been drawn from the container into the cylinder above the piston. During the downward movement, the engagement between ribs 32 and 33 on collar 31 turns the valve to close passage from the syrup container to the cylinder and open the passage from said cylinder through port 21, 24, and 22 into the tubular member 17. The pressure being released upon handle member 15, the spring 40 in casing 14 automatically returns the parts to normal position, forcing the syrup above the piston out through said passageway into said tubular member and disc iarges from spout 18 the measured quantity of syrup, and at the same time flange 29 strikes pin 26 and carries it to contact with stop 30, shifting the valve to close discharge passageway and open suction passageway.

An objection found in the operation of pumps of this type, as heretofore constructed, has been the uniform quantity of syrup discharged, varying at each stroke in accordance with the length of the stroke of the piston. By this variation in the stroke the clerk is able to dispense a much smaller quantity of the syrup in one case than he should and a much larger quantity of the syrup in another case than he should. The leading purpose of our invention is to insure that at each operation of the pump a measured or predetermined uantity of syrup shall be dispensed. To t is end we have so proportioned and positioned the projecting ribs 32 and 33 on the sleeve 31 that they will not release the projecting pin 26 of the crank-arms 25 until the piston has been forced to it lowermost position.

In Figure 2 we have illustrated the parts in the position they occupy when, for example, the piston is allowed to start on its return movement before sleeve 31 has been forced into contact with the top of the flange 29 on sleeve 27 It will be noted that the flange 33 impinges against the side of the pin 26 and locks the parts against return movement and before the return can be effected it is necessary to force the piston rod 12 downward until the crank-arm 25 is thrown around upon its pivot to the point where flange 33 will clear the pin 26, when the piston may be released for the return movement. The locked position of the parts is illustrated in diagrammatic form in Figure 4. On the downward movement it will be noted that the concave recess between flanges 32 and 33 engages pin 26 and carries the crank-arm downward engaged between said flanges and that this engagement continue until the lowermost position of the parts is reached. By this means. with collar 31 adjusted to charge the cylinder with the predetermined quantity and tube 17 being normally full, it is not possible for the operator to vary the quantity dischar ed but said predetermined amount is insure at each operation of the pump.

It will be understood, of course, that while we have described this pump as a syrup dispensing pump, it may be used fit any purpose for which it may be found applicable as where a predetermined quantity at each discharge is important whether of syrup, beverage or other substance.

Having thus fully described our said invention, what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. A liquid dispensing pump comprising a cylinder, a piston therein, a discharge spout, parts providing a passageway from the container to the cylinder and a passageway from the cylinder to the spout, a valve interposed for controlling said passageways, means mounted on the piston rod to cooperate with means connected with said valve for controlling said passageways sothat when the piston is operated in one direction the substance will be drawn from the container to the cylinder and when in the other direction it will be forced from the cylinder out through said spout, and means for preventing the movement in the discharge direction until the limit of the movement in the opposite direction has been attained, whereby a uniform predetermined discharge is insured at each operation, substantially as set forth.

2.- A liquid pump comprising a cylinder, a piston therein, a piston rod for operating said piston, a discharge spout, parts provid ing a passageway leading from the container to the cylinder and from the cylinder to the spout. a valve interposed in said passageway, a collar on the piston rod, a movable sleeve also on said piston rod with a projecting top flange, an arm on the valve stem projecting into the path of the collar, and means for locking the arm and the collar to move together during the lower part of the movement of the piston in one direction and release at the end of said movement, substantially as set forth.

3. A liquid dispensing pump comprising a cylinder, a piston, a piston rod, means for holding said piston and piston rod nor- -mally in discharged position, a discharge spout, members having passage-ways leading from the container to the cylinder and from the cylinder to the discharge spout, a valve with ports for controlling said passage-ways, means for operating said valve to position said ports so that when in discharged position the passage-way from the container to the cylinder will be open and when in discharging position the assageway from the cylinder to the discharge spout will be open, which means consists of a projecting arm on the valve stem, a collar on the piston rod, and a movable lit sleeve on said piston rod, which parts are positioned to cooperate during the final part of the suction movement until the predetermined quantity has been drawn into the cylinder and then released, and said sleeve carrying a flange adapted to contact with the arm on the valve stem and return the valve to suction position on the discharging movement, substantially as set forth.

4. A liquid dispensing apparatus comprising a container, a piston mounted to reciprocate freely in said container, means to restore the piston to initial position after a stroke in one direction, and means whereby liquid is dispensed from the container only after a full stroke of the piston in the direction referred to, substantially as set forth.

5. A liquid dispensing apparatus comprising a container, a piston operating in the Container to dispense the liquid from the container said container'having an outlet passageway, a valve within the passage for controlling the passage of liquid therethrough, a piston rod for actuating the pi"- ton and interlocking means on the piston rod and connected with the valve for restricting the dispensing of any liquid for any movement of the piston less than a full stroke, and means for automatically restoring the piston to its initial position after a partial or full stroke of the piston, substantially as set forth.

6. A liquid dispensing apparatus comprising a container, a piston in the container, means for restoring the piston to initial position after a partial stroke or full stroke, and means actuated at the end of a full stroke for dispensing a predetesmined quantity of liquid, substantially as set forth.

7. In a manually operated dispensing apparatus, a container, a piston therein, an outlet passageway leading from said container, means for returning the piston to initial position after a partial stroke, and means within the passageway to restrict the flow therethrough said means being operated upon by parts associated with the pis' ton to open the passageway at the termination of a full stroke, substantially as set forth.

In witness whereof, we have hereunto set our hands'and seals at Louisville, Kentucky,

this twenty-ninth day of May, A. D. nine T teen hundred and twenty-two.

JOHN D. FLETCHER. [n.s] CHARLES LEE COOK. [1,. s.]

' lVitnesses:

Gso. H. Hess, WM. J. ARNOLD, Sr. 

